Remembering Whose We Are - Part 2

The other two satanic temptations also tested the identity of Jesus. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple.” Satan assured Jesus that He would not be hurt (Matthew 4:6). Instead He would create a great spectacle and win instant popularity. But Jesus had no interest in pain-free magic, for He was the Suffering Servant, not a celebrity.

Satan also attempted to distract Jesus with a false and glitzy image of the world in order to make Him worship Satan, a creature of God. Jesus resolutely stood by His divine identity and refused to sell it for a devilish illusion.

Jesus changes the old script and shows the victorious way of the cross. Between His baptism and ministry was the wilderness of temptation, and Jesus shows all the danger that lies in our path. It is easy for us to quickly forget our baptismal identity and fall prey to Satan’s subtle temptations.

The ancient Israelites forgot who they were, or rather whose they were, and spent a lifetime of pathetic wandering in the desert. They built an idol mascot for their desert trip, worshipped their bodies like the rest of the world through their revelry, sexual immorality and complaints about food and water, and idealised their lives of bondage in Egypt. They repeatedly forgot whose they were. Their children who entered the Promised Land did not fare any better.

We who follow Jesus are daily bombarded with suggestions to compromise our identity – whose we are. Appetites, the need for acceptance and to be popular, and the desire for comfort, success and wealth can lead us astray to live our distorted and destroyed identities.

The marketplace and the media can whisper tempting alternatives to our identity in Christ. Temptations in church are even worse. They usually begin with “If you are a child of God, then …” and introduce all kinds of notions that lead into using God for our own agendas rather than fitting our lives into God’s plans. Or they can lead us into make-believe spiritual ‘theme parks’ or self-worship, if only for a few moments.

To remember whose we are, we must remain close to Jesus, and hide His word in our hearts that we may not sin (Psalm 119:11). We must stay alert in case we carelessly assume we are on an Exodus journey and lose our way. The deadly air of the world dries up the baptismal water quickly, unless our hearts remain filled with the Spirit.

Discussion Questions:

The world’s philosophy focuses on who we are (or make ourselves to be), but the biblical focus is on our remembering whose we are and faithfully acting out that identity. What temptations are there that tempt Christians to forget or distort their Christian identity? How can these temptations be overcome? How can one hide God’s Word in one’s heart so as not to sin (Psalm 119:11)?